How Not to Communicate with Customers

From a real restaurant ...

Just Because You Can ... Doesn't Mean You Should

Last week at the Hawaii Book & Music Festival I met a new breed of author - the self-published author.  With few exceptions, they were self-published because publishers didn't have a sense that their books would sell. 

In this digital age, these authors have the option of bypassing publishers altogether and engaging in do-it-yourself publishing.  That's ok if your ego is such that you want to see your great novel in print.  But, don't expect it to sell. 

There's a reason that there are publishers in this world.  They know the market ... and they know quality. Authors often think publishers are a pain in the butt because they are making suggestions and editing their great American novel.  But, the publishersare doing their job.  They're making sure that the book has a reasonable chance for financial success. 

So self-published books ever break through?  Yes, there are exceptions, but they are truly exceptions.

Technology has made self-publishing possible, but it hasn't changed marketplace reality. 

I'm also getting a lot of amateur surveys in my e-mailbox these days.  Web services like Survey Monkey have made do-it-yourself research possible.  The problem is that it's easy to create a survey instrument using the web, but it's hard to make one that is effective.  There are many, many skills involved in creating an effective survey.  There are courses, conferences and degrees that specialize in this field.  Some of the surveys that I have seen violate many of the rules for validity and reliability that are the hallmarks of effective research.  Research is all about gathering intelligence to make informed decisions.  Bad research lead to a wrong decision.

Just because technology opens up techniques that were formerly reserved for professionals, it doesn't mean that you are instantly qualified to use them.  Sometimes you need a professional.  

How to Make a Sale ...

I just made a $75 donation to my alma mater, Northwestern University.  I'm not saying that to brag.  In fact, I hadn't intended to make a donation at all.  I donated because of the persuasiveness of a student on a phone-a-thon. 

I got the call on a Saturday.  A very busy Saturday.  I knew right off the bat that this was a solicitation, and I just wanted to end the call and get back to my yard work.  So, what happened to convert my dismissive attitude into a sale?  It was a student who (perhaps intuitively) knew how to sell. 

First of all, he was respectful.  He knew he was interrupting my Saturday and he apologized for that.
Second, he was personable.  He identified himself by name and very briefly told me a little bit about himself.  So, I was talking to a human being, not a call center drone.  I was empathetic. 

Third, he asked about me.  He engaged me.  When did I go to school at NU?  What did I study there?  Where do I live now?  (Wow, Hawaii ... cool!).  

He knew the facts.  He knew when I last donated ... and he asked that I renew a commitment that I had made in the past. 

He asked for the order.  I initially told him that I wouldn't be pledging now - that I would have to discuss this with my wife.  He said "of course, but can I put you down for a minimum amount ... you can always change it later."  A primary rule of sales ... don't take no for an answer. 

We decided on $50 as a minimum amount.

He then said that everyone was being asked if they could increase their pledge by just 10%.  Could I go from $50 to $55?  That sounds like a very reasonable ask ... and I'm already in the "yes" mode ... so, I said yes.

After some additional cordial conversation, I hung up.  And, almost immediately I got an email from him confirming my pledge.

When I hadn't sent a check in a couple of weeks, I got a hand written reminder.

I felt so good about the whole event that I wrote a check for $75 instead of $55.

Now, the university is not going to double its endowment with a $75 gift, but I was not planning to donate at all.  And now they have me in their database (I'm sure).

There are lessons here.  Be respectful of customers.  Make connections.  Be personable.  Be human.  Be empathetic.  Ask for the order.  Upsell. 

And, oh yes, don't take no for an answer.  

Signs of the Times?

It's really fairly easy to be polite.  Many of us grew up with the admonition to say "please" and "thank you."  But, unfortunately, civility often flies out the window when we communicate with our fellow human beings in our signs.

I was reminded of this when I saw a sign at a food court.  The sign was obviously commercially made and
carried the stark message DO NOT FEED THE BIRDS!  Some kind soul scrawled the polite additive "PLEASE" above the sign.  It probably wouldn't have cost more to print the word "please" on the sign, and it probably wouldn't have affected the efficacy of the message.  But the stark DO NOT FEED THE BIRDS says something about the character of the food court that posted it.  Bossy.  Unfriendly.  Shouting. 

I am especially aghast at impolite signs in places that are supposed to be temples of hospitality.  When I worked for Hawaii Tourism Authority I had a crusade against impolite signs at our airports.  For the record, I didn't win that battle.  Every time a sign was changed to say please or "mahalo" ("thank you" in Hawaiian) another would pop up that included sentiments like "strictly prohibited" and "absolutely no ...".  I've often wondered if people really think that saying something is "strictly prohibited" is more effective than saying that it is "prohibited."  Or, even if "prohibited" is more effective than a friendlier "please don't." 

Another annoyance:  hand made signs.  In a world where computers are everywhere, why can't people make signs that at least look nice?  My computer has hundreds of fonts and a library of photos and clip art. 

So, why make a sign that looks like this one ... ?

How about signs that are overly officious?  Don't do this "by order of the management."  Who else would make a directive??

It really isn't hard to be polite and customer friendly ... even in signage.